OVERVIEW

Start date: 1st September 2026
Assignment location: Remote, home-based

PURPOSE OF THIS CONTRACT

Oxfam is seeking the services of a consultant to develop a regional policy brief for the Asia Feminist Coalition on social protection in Asia titled “Financing Gender-Transformative Social Protection in Asia: Who Pays, Who Benefits, and How Do We Build Fiscal Justice?”

Across Asia, governments increasingly recognize the importance of social protection. However, social protection systems remain chronically underfunded, fragmented, and unable to respond adequately to the realities of women’s lives, particularly those of informal workers, unpaid caregivers, migrants, Indigenous peoples, and other marginalized communities.

This brief seeks to shift the conversation from what social protection covers to how it is financed. Fiscal policy determines whether governments have the resources and political commitment to build universal, rights-based, and gender-transformative social protection systems. Through a feminist political economy lens, the brief will examine how taxation, public expenditure, borrowing, debt management, and budgeting shape who contributes to public revenues, how resources are allocated, and ultimately who benefits from social protection.

SCOPE OF WORK

The consultant will be responsible for researching, drafting, and finalizing a 20-page regional policy brief that analyses how fiscal policy shapes social protection financing in Asia and proposes feminist solutions for creating fiscal space to finance universal and gender-transformative social protection systems.

Specific tasks include:

• Conduct a desk review of regional and global literature on social protection financing, fiscal policy, feminist economics, care systems, taxation, debt, gender-responsive budgeting, and fiscal justice.
• Review policy experiences, evidence, and country-level analysis from AFC member organizations across 11 Asian countries, incorporating relevant case studies and examples.
• Develop a policy brief examining fiscal choices, gendered impacts of taxation/debt, and feminist policy solutions.
• Consult with AFC members to ensure their evidence and recommendations are reflected.
• Revise the draft based on feedback received from Oxfam in Asia and AFC members.

DELIVERABLES

• An inception note outlining the proposed methodology, workplan, and outline of the policy brief.
• A first draft of the approximately 20-page regional policy brief.
• Two revised drafts incorporating comments from Oxfam in Asia, AFC members, and peer reviewers.
• A copy-edited, publication-ready final policy brief.
• An executive summary highlighting the key findings and recommendations.
• A concise set of key advocacy messages and policy recommendations.

PROFILE REQUIREMENTS

Essential Criteria:

• Advanced university degree in Economics, Public Policy, Development Studies, Gender Studies, Political Economy, Social Policy, International Development, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience conducting policy research and producing high-quality publications on social protection, public finance, fiscal policy, taxation, gender equality, feminist economics, or related areas.
• Strong understanding of feminist political economy, fiscal justice, gender-responsive budgeting, and social protection systems in Asia.
• Proven experience developing policy briefs, research reports, or advocacy publications for international NGOs, research institutions, UN agencies, or development organizations.
• Experience working with civil society organizations, feminist movements, or regional networks in Asia.
• Excellent analytical, research, and writing skills in English.

Desired Criteria:

• Familiarity with the political economy and fiscal policy landscape across Asia.
• Experience facilitating consultations or participatory research processes with diverse stakeholders.
• Knowledge of issues related to unpaid care work, climate justice, labour rights, or gender-responsive public finance.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Interested candidates are invited to submit:

• A technical proposal describing how the research will be conducted
• Financial offer
• CV(s)
• A written example of a policy brief developed

Applications should be submitted via the application link. For the full version of the ToR, please visit: Oxfam Box Link